


Caught

by ABrighterDarkness



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Affection, Banter, Birthday Fluff, Birthday Presents, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29272704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ABrighterDarkness/pseuds/ABrighterDarkness
Summary: He leaned in, just a little closer, turning his ear toward it and gave the box a shake.“You just can’t help yourself, can you?”
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	Caught

**Author's Note:**

> Written for   
> Sam Wilson Bingo: N1 - Steve Rogers  
> Star-Spangled Bingo: O1 - Caught in the Act
> 
> I would also like to mention that I've been extremely slow on responding to comments and not because I'm ungrateful. The opposite actually. I love the comments I've gotten and I spend a lot time rereading through them. But I've not been in a good place to respond. I kind of burnt myself out pretty good on writing and such at the end of the year and it's carried over a bit into this year. Which is also partially why I've not posted a whole lot so far this year. But I do completely and entirely love every word that's been commented. I will be getting to responding to them and back to posting more regularly though! Sooner than later, promise!

The clock on the stove read a quarter past eleven by the time Steve tiredly kicked the door closed behind him, grateful that the light above it had been left on. He winced when it latched a little louder than he had intended. He stole a quick glance down the darkened hallway that led to the bedroom and sighed in relief when the sound didn’t seem to have woken Sam. 

No sense in keeping him up, not with as early as his alarm clock had him up every morning. Which, Steve noted tiredly, was less than five hours away. 

It had been a long couple days.

Steve was more than a little relieved to finally be home. Thankfully, the flight back and debrief had taken long enough that the minor injuries he’d gotten on the Op, few as there were, would have already healed. He was tired and in dire need of a hot shower but he didn’t have to worry Sam more than usual. 

Actually, Sam was what he needed more than a shower or sleep. Motherhenning or no--which, to be fair, Steve was well-aware that he was just as guilty, if not more so. Steve had been ready to be back home and with Sam pretty much from the moment he boarded the jet. 

Steve dropped his bag and shield off of his shoulder and lowered them to the floor next to the door with considerably more care than he’d shut the door and shrugged his jacket off. He shifted to hang it on the peg mounted to the wall next to the door when something caught his eye in the low light from the small kitchen.

He shot another glance down the hall and moved toward the table where a box, neatly wrapped in brightly decorated paper, sat. An eveloped card with his name written on the front leaned against the box. Steve was a little amused that he’d honestly forgotten that his birthday was less than an hour away until that very moment. 

He’d made it home for it though. He would be able to spend this one with Sam, doing whatever plans happened to be in place. Steve really didn’t care what they did beyond that.

Steve knew that he should leave the box alone. Leave it be until morning when Sam was awake and there with him. But he was pretty curious. And he didn’t have to actually  _ open _ it in order to get some sort of idea what might be in that box. 

He wavered for a moment. Standing with his arms hanging tensely at his side, prepared to reach and to grab, and staring at the carefully arranged gift sitting in the center of their dining table. And then he sighed.

Decision made, Steve moved the card to lay flat on the table, pausing long enough to trace a fingertip over his name written in Sam’s neat handwriting, and then carefully lifted the box itself. The box wasn’t much of an indicator of what might be inside. Rectangular and just a few inches tall. He could probably fit it easily in both his flattened palms with only an inch or two overhanging on either side. Heavier than it looked, though. 

He leaned in, just a little closer, turning his ear toward it and gave the box a shake.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

Steve startled and juggled the box for a brief moment before holding it firmly again, spinning around more clumsily than he was usually able to manage. He felt his ears and face go hot as he caught sight of Sam, leaning casually against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest and a knowing smirk on his face. 

He’d been so preoccupied with the gift still in his hands that he hadn’t even heard Sam come out of the bedroom. Steve wanted to blame Nat. She’d been trying to teach both Steve and Sam to be a little more stealthy, though Sam hadn’t really needed too much assistance. At least not in comparison. But Steve had already learned that Sam could be as sneaky as he wanted when the mood struck.

“I-I was just--,” Steve started.

“What if that’s something breakable, huh?” Sam teased. 

“I thought you were asleep,” Steve said guiltily.

Sam’s smirk widened into a true grin as he pushed off the doorframe and crossed the short space between them. When he reached Steve, he plucked the gift from Steve’s hands and set it back onto the table. Sam straightened again and wound his arms around Steve’s waist, holding onto him loosely.

Steve also knew that the hold wouldn’t tighten even the slightest bit until Sam was certain he wouldn’t be aggravating anything. And not based off of Steve’s word, either. Apparently, his definition of ‘fine’ could use some work.

“That’s cute,” Sam teased. “Acting like I don’t know you and your little habit of being too nosey for your own good.”

“I was just curious,” Steve defended sheepishly, automatically responding to the hold by inching closer and winding his own arms around Sam’s shoulders. “I wasn’t going to open it.”

“Uh huh,” Sam responded, tilting his head to look over Steve’s shoulder into the kitchen. “I think you’ve got another half-hour of patience in you.”

“A whole half-hour, huh?” Steve said. “I dunno. That’s an awful long time.”

“You’ll manage,” Sam said and then his expression sobered. “Anything I need to be worried about?”

“No, not this time,” Steve answered. He grinned when Sam’s eyes narrowed. “I swear. We all got out with a handful of scrapes and bruises. Not much left of either by now.”

“Good,” Sam nodded. “Go on and get cleaned up then. Open that after.”

Steve glanced at the gift and then back to Sam. As curious as he was about what was inside, it had lost the vast majority of his attention the moment he realized that Sam was in the room. He still looked forward to seeing what it was, what Sam had chosen to give to him. He had no doubt that he’d love whatever it was. But...

“It’ll keep,” he said, quiet but decisive. Steve ran his hands over Sam’s shoulders and down his arms until he could catch hold of his hands. He squeezed them affectionately and leaned in for a kiss. He withdrew sooner than he wanted but it was late and he knew that they were both tired. Falling asleep snuggled up close with Sam was far more pressing than the gift-based curiosity. 

“C’mon,” Steve said, leading the way back to the still-dark hallway that went to the bathroom and bedroom.


End file.
